A petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) Friday seeking orders against the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to implement a ban on the electronic media coverage of former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.
In the petitioner by Munir Ahmed the federal government, PEMRA and others have been made parties.
The petition was filed after Nawaz Sharif appeared on TV channels, including PTV in recent weeks.
On May 27, 2019, the PEMRA banned the broadcast of speeches, interviews, and public addresses by absconders and proclaimed offenders.
Later on October 1, 2020, PEMRA issued notices to all television channels for defying the aforesaid ban by airing the address of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former PM Nawaz Sharif.
Two days later, the PEMRA also issued notices to the television channels for airing the interview of Ishaq Dar, who was declared absconder in 2017 by the Supreme Court of Pakistan after he went into self-imposed exile in London.
In light of these orders, the petition filed in the LHC sought a court order against the authority for failing to implement its ban.
It noted that the PEMRA is violating orders issued by the authority itself by not enforcing them.
